""Hence there is a clear potential mechanism for these pesticides to damage the first line of defence that insects have against disease. Again it seems clear that insecticides are linked to sickness in bees and impairment to pollination services."" The possibility fits in with what has already been discovered about the harmful effects of neonicotinoids ��" in that bees treated with imidacloprid, which is Bayer's biggest-selling insecticide worth ã500m a year in sales to the company ��" are far more susceptible to disease, even at microscopic doses. This has been shown by two independent studies carried out in the past two years." See the link below: Here is a link that might be useful: very recent news article

esperanza,The hive top feeders I've see go on the hive body, then you put an empty super over it with the covers on top of the empty.I've never actually used the hive top feeders( I get buckets for free and make my own), so setup may depend on the style of feeder.Some are enclosed so you can fill without having the bees buzzing you. You can feed till there's a nectar flow. If they're on new foundation, they'll need the syrup to help draw out the comb if there isn't any nectar available.

I think my general answer to you first couple of questions is, if you're concerned about the sugar syrup going rancid, I'd stop feeding them. It seems to me if the sugar solution is sticking around that long, the bees have less interest in it than in other flora nectar sources available to them. It's time to stop feeding them. When you've got a hive that needs to be fed, they're not going to waste any time in sucking down the sugar syrup! I probably don't have a good answer about the bacteria thing; I tend to boil the water I use for sugar syrup - but that's mostly to get the sugar to dissolve faster (as opposed to trying to kill any bacteria in the tap water - however I'm sure it accomplishes that too). You may be able to research this question more on the internet (or some source like, "The Hive and the Honeybee"). There are many different types of feeders; each with their own 'pros & cons'. You can use a larger mason jar than a quart (if you can find the half gallon size in your area). Some of the bee supply businesses have a gallon size plastic pale that works pretty well - but again, if the bees aren't taking down the syrup pretty fast, mold and bacteria will grow in it - I've never noticed that caused a problem for the bees - but then again, I'm not looking down at the microscopic level. Some say the entrance feeder (i.e., mason jar) helps promote robbing between hives - I've never had a problem with that being the case. And with pan-type feeders, you have to provide the bees a means to get to the syrup without getting in it and drowning.

Ridiculous argument... it is making it way more complicated than necessary. BTW...Sugar is NOT cocaine to a hummingbird.. it is sucrose, virtually identical to what naturally occurs IN FLOWER NECTAR. Just use plain white sugar diluted in water and quit trying to put together some kind of vitamin drink when that is possibly screwing up their sensitive metabolic systems. We give way more credence to our human intervention as 'helping' wild animals when in fact most if not all of it is unnecessary and is actually interference. I do put out a feeder in the summer to enjoy the hummers presence but I am not naive enough to think I am sustaining them when I have a yard filled with massive numbers of zinnias, bee balm, honeysuckle, milkweed, penstemon, phlox and many others. And skip the honey...hummers would never be eating it in the wild. And everything I've read says it can contain bacteria that is harmful to birds (not just hummingbirds) as well as human babies.